Tenses

1. Present tenses

1.1 Present Simple

FORM

The present simple is formed with the infinitive of the main verb. The negative and interrogative are formed with the present tense of the verb to do + infinitive.

Examples

I start work at 8.30 a.m.

When do I start work?

I don’t start work until 9.00 a..m. / He doesn’t start work until 9.00 a..m.

( Remember the -s in the third person singular.)

USE

1. For habitual and repeated actions.
	I play tennis.
2. With adverbs of frequency: often – usually – sometimes – seldom – rarely – always – occasionally – never
	He often arrives late.
3. Certain verbs are usually only used in the (present) simple form.
	verbs of the senses: see- hear- smell – notice – recognize verbs of emotion: want – desire – refuse – forgive – wish – care – love – hate – like – dislike verbs of thinking: think – feel – realize – understand – know – mean – suppose – believe – expect – remember – forget
4. For something that is permanently true.
	Water boils at 100 °C.

time diagram

I get up at 8.30 a.m. every day.

PAST NOW FUTURE

1.2 Present Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.

I’m watching television.

What are you doing?

He isn’t coming.

USE

1. For actions happening at the moment of speaking.	She’s reading the newspaper.
2. For a temporary state.	The company is reorganizing its services.
3. For a definite arrangement in the near future.	They’re signing the contract tomorrow.

Some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form:

1. verbs of senses	see – hear – smell – notice - recognize
2. verbs of emotion	want – desire – refuse – forgive – wish – care – love – hate – like - dislike
3. verbs of thinking	think – feel – realize – understand – know – mean – suppose – believe – expect – remember - forget
4. verbs of possessing	own – owe – belong - possess
5. some other verbs	seem – appear (seem) – contain – consist – keep (continue) - matter

time diagram

PAST NOW FUTURE

I’m adjusting the rotation speed.

1.3 Present Perfect Simple

FORM

This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to have + past participle of the main verb.

I’ve finished.

Where have you been?

I haven’t talked to him.

USE

We use this tense to connect past and present. We use to talk about

1. Actions in the recent past with ‘just, recently, already, at last, lately’
	He has just immersed the temperature probe into the molten steel.
2. General experience with ‘ever – never – before – so far’
	This is the highest carbon ratio I’ve ever seen.
3. The indefinite past: we are interested in what happened, not in when it happened.
	I ‘ve seen the report. (I know what it is about.) He has sold the company. They ‘ve had lunch.
4. Actions starting in the past and continuing to the present, with ‘for’ or ‘since”.
	The operation has been suspended for two months. The firm has had a Belgian branch since October last year.

time diagrams

I’ve just arrived.

PAST NOW FUTURE

Have you been to France?

PAST NOW FUTURE

They have revised their report.

PAST NOW FUTURE

We have conducted experiments on this phenomenon for almost twenty years.

PAST NOW FUTURE

1.4 Present Perfect Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the present perfect of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.

I ‘ve been writing code for our new data-mining program.

Has she been trying to contact me?

She hasn’t been writing at all.

USE

We use this tense for actions started in the past, continuing to the present and probably continuing into the future. We often use it with “for” or “since”.

I’ ve been trying to persuade him for ten years now.

We ‘ve been practicingthis routine since last Wednesday.

time diagram

	I’ve been driving for twenty years.
1982 2002 PAST NOW FUTURE

	I’ve driven a Volkswagen for twenty years.
1982 2002 PAST NOW FUTURE

In the first example, we express a strong possibility that the action will continue into the future. In the second example, we are only interested in the past twenty years.

2. Past tenses

2.1 Past Simple

FORM

This tense is formed by adding -ed to the infinitive. The negative and interrogative are formed with the past tense of the verb to do + infinitive of the main verb.

They arrived at head quarters an hour ago.

When did he finalize this deal?

I didn’t finish until 12 o’clock.

USE

We use this tense:

1. For actions completed at a definite time in the past.
	We signed the contract last Friday at 2 o’clock.
2. For actions which are already completed in the past: the time is understood but not stated.
	Did you arrive in time?
3. The ‘unreal past tense’ is used after the verb ‘to wish’ and after words and phrases such as ‘if only; it’s time; suppose’ etc. The simple past tense implies that the speaker knows that the wish or the idea is impossible. Note that the wish refers to the present time.
	If I only knew his name. I wish I were at home now. If I were in his shoes, I would fix his wagon without much scruples. It’s time I went home.

time diagram

I arrived at 15.30 sharp.

PAST NOW FUTURE

2.2 Past Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.

I was watching TV at 8 o’clock yesterday.

Where were you looking for my gasses this time?

I wasn’t eavesdropping at all!

USE

We use this tense:

1. To emphasize the continuity of the past action.
	She was playing tennis with a friend. He was discussing production planning for the coming week.
2. To describe an action in progress at a certain time in the past.
	At 6 p.m. I was still sleeping. At a quarter past nine I was having breakfast. Prices were going up all the time.
3. To describe an interrupted past action.
	When he arrived, I was studying the quarterly reports.
4. To express repeated past actions which caused irritation, annoyance. ( with always, forever)
	He was always trying to influence the presonnel director. She was forever paring her nails during meetings.

time diagram

1. I was working all day yesterday.

PAST yesterday NOW FUTURE

2. I worked all day yesterday.

PAST yesterday NOW FUTURE

While (1) emphasizes the continuity of the action, (2) only indicates that the action took place yesterday.

3. I was watching television at 8.30 last night.

PAST 8.30 NOW FUTURE

4. I watched television at 8.30 last night.

PAST 8.30 NOW FUTURE

Whereas 3. indicates that the action started before and continued after a certain point in time, 4.. indicates that the action happened at 8.30.

4. I was browsing through your report

when he knocked at my office door.

2.3 Past Perfect Simple

FORM

This tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to have + past participle of the main verb.

I had never seen so many measuring tools.

What assistance had he given?

He hadn’t expected this outcome.

USE

We use this tense to describe one past action happening before another past action.
	The customer had left the shop by the time I found his order form.
We use it when necessary to indicate the sequence of two actions.
	He had already cleared the screen when I got behind his desk.
We often us it when the second action is understood, but not stated.
	I hadn’t realized! (until you told me.)

time diagram

(1) When I had had dinner, I watched television.

had watched PAST dinner television NOW FUTURE

(2) I had dinnner before I watched television.

had watched PAST dinner television NOW FUTURE

In (1) the sequence of actions is expressed by the past perfect tense; whereas in (2) the sequence of actions is indicated by the use of before.

2.4 Past Perfect Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the past perfect tense of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.

She had been working as a secretary for two years when she was promoted.

What had she been writing all day?

He hadn’t been listening to that tape for that long.

USE

We use this tense to describe a continuous past action happening before another past action. We often use it with for + time period.
	We had been waiting for thirty minutes when they arrived.
We use this tense to emphasize the continuity or duration of the past action.
	I had been waiting for my exam results for six weeks. (before I got them.)

time diagram

(1) I had been waiting for ten minutes when she arrived.

PAST ten minutes NOW FUTURE

(1) I waited for ten minutes before she arrived.

PAST I waited she arrived NOW FUTURE

Whereas in (1) the past perfect continuous indicates both the sequence of the actions and the continuity of the first action; in (2) the sequence of the actions is indicated by before.

3. Future tenses

3.1 Future Simple (with will)

FORM

This tense is formed with will + infinitive of the main verb.

I’ll see you later

When will you be there?

They won’t like in.

USE

We use this tensze to express a pure future. Actions expressed in the simple future are bound to happen because of the course of time. This means that the speaker has no power over the events, that he cannot control what will happen. For this reason this tense is also called the uncertain future.

He will be sixteen years old next Friday.

The baby will be born next month.

1. We often use this tense with particular verbs; such as think – know – believe – suppose – expect – hope to express beleifs, convictions, hope, expectationn, knowledge and opinions about the future.
	I think Brazil will win. I don’t suppose she will be promoted now.
2. We often use it with particular adverbs such as: probably – possibly –perhaps to express uncertainty about the future.
	He will probably ask the general manager. This matter will probably not be raised before the commission’s first meeting.
3. The simple present is used in conditional clauses and time clauses. The simple future is used in the main clause (not in the if-clause).
	He ‘ll help you if you ask him. I ‘ll tell him the news as soon as I see him. He ‘ll be arrested the moment he sets foot on Schengen soil.

3.2 Future with going to

FORM

This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to be + going to + infinitive of the main verb.

I’ m going to watch this football match on TV tonight.

What are you going to do about this ?

She isn’t going to give this party next week.

USE

We use this tense to talk about present intentions and plans for future actions.
	I ‘m going to pass my exams next month. I ‘m going to spend two weeks in Spain this summer.
We also use going to in order to express subjective certainty on the part of the speaker.
	This boat is going to sink. It’s going to rain, by the look of it.

3.3 Future with Present Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to be+ present participle of the main verb.

She is getting married next Friday.

What are you doing next weekend?

They’re not coming home tonight.

USE

We use this tense to indicate definite future arrangements, actions planned in the near future. We nearly alwys use a future time expression with it.
	He ‘s starting his new job next Monday. I’ m taking the 11 o’clock train to Berlin.

Note: do not confuse intention ( to be + going to + verb) and arrangement (to be + present participle).
	I’m going to stay in London. = intention I’m going to London next weekend = arrangement

3.4 Future with Present Simple

FORM

This tense is formed with the infinitive of the main verb. The negative and interrogative are formed with the present tense of to do + infinitive.

The plane takes off at 7.30 local time.

The match begins at 14.00 hours.

You leave from Kennedy airport at noon, and arrive in Paris at 15.00 hours GMT.

USE

We use this tense to talk about planned future actions. We usually use it to describe travel plans, time tables, departures, arrivals.
	The bus leaves at 15.30. The reception starts at 19.00 hours. The ferry leaves Dover at 12.30 tomorrow and we arrive at Calais at 13.15.

3.5 Future Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the future simple of to be + present participle of the main verb.

We’ ll be flying to Rome this time next week.

What will you be doing this time next week?

They won’t be sitting in the classroom at 6 o’clock tomorrow.

USE

We use this tense for actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future.
	At 11.45 next Friday, I ‘ ll be doing my chemistry exam. I’ ll be hiking through the States this time next year.

time diagram

	This time next week, I’ll be taking my driving test.
PAST NOW next week FUTURE

The future continuous is also used to express long-term arrangements, especially for travelling.
	The band will be travelling through Scandinavia at the end of the month. They will be giving three performances there.
The future continuous is also used to ask very polite questions about future activities. By using the future continuous tense, the speaker asking the questions shows that he does not want to influence the other person’s decision in any way at all.
	Where will you be having dinner, Sir? (secretary to boss) What will you be having, Madam? (waiter to customer)
The future continuous is also used to make deductions about what is happening at the moment of speaking.
	He will be working in his garden now. Otherwise, he would have heard the phone. She hasn’t begun making up the beds. She will still be doing the washing up.

3.6 Future Perfect Simple

FORM

This tense is formed with will + have + past participle of the main verb.

They ‘ll have finalized their business by noon.

Will they have copied all that material by Friday morning?

They won’t have organized this course by the end of this year.

USE

We use this tense to describe actions which we know will (or will not) be completed by a certain time in the future.
	I ‘ll have finished this book by the end of the week.

time diagram

	By the end of next week, I’ll have finished my exams.
PAST NOW end of next week FUTURE

3.7 Future Perfect Continuous

FORM

This tense is formed with the future perfect tense of to be + present participle of rthe main verb.

By the end of this year, we ‘ll have been experimenting with this for more than three months.

How long will you have been living there by the end of this year?

I won’t have been living living here for five years till the end of this year.

USE

We use this tense to describe continuous and repeated actions which begin befor a certain time in the future and will probably continue after that time.
	By the end of the next academic year, I’ll have been teaching for 26 years.

time diagram

By the end of the next academic year, I’ll have been teaching for 26 years

PAST 26 years NOW FUTURE end of next academic year